Tabbouleh

Ingredients

• 4 large bunches flat-leaf parsley (about 300g)
• 30g fine bulgur (No. 1 grade)
• 400g ripe tomatoes
• 1 small bunch mint (about 30g)
• 4 spring onions
• 60ml lemon juice
• 80ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon
• Baby gem or romaine leaves, to serve

Before you cook

• Wash the parsley and mint and dry them thoroughly, ideally in a salad spinner, because wet herbs make a soggy tabbouleh.
• Dice the tomatoes into small five millimetre cubes and put them in a bowl with the bulgur so the grain swells in the tomato juice for fifteen minutes.
• Trim the spring onions and slice them very thinly.
• Sharpen your knife properly; a blunt blade bruises parsley and turns it black.

Steps

1. Gather the dried parsley into a tight bundle and slice off the thick lower stalks.
2. Chop the parsley leaves finely, working across the bundle in one direction rather than hacking at them, until you have a fluffy green pile.
3. Stack the mint leaves, roll them up and slice them thinly, then add them to the parsley.
4. Tip the soaked bulgur and tomatoes into a large bowl along with any juice in the bowl.
5. Add the parsley, mint and spring onions on top of the tomatoes but do not mix yet.
6. Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
7. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently with your hands just before serving so the herbs stay lively.
8. Taste and add more lemon or salt, then serve with lettuce leaves for scooping.